ACHA Position Statements

The following are statements that ACHA has adopted as organizational positions.*

ACHA Statement in Support of Vaccine Use to Promote Health and Prevent Disease

Immunizations offer safe and effective protection from
vaccine-preventable diseases. The United States is experiencing
re-emergence of these diseases, in part due to factors such as
un-immunized and under-immunized persons and global travel. The American
College Health Association (ACHA) strongly supports the use of vaccines
to protect the health of our individual students and our campus
communities. In recognition of the vital role that vaccine coverage
plays in community immunity (herd immunity), ACHA discourages nonmedical
exemptions to required vaccines. Best practices for institutions of higher education include following recommendations for institutional prematriculation immunizations guidelines, encouraging students who request nonmedical waivers to be
counseled by a health service clinician, and considering exclusion of
unimmunized students from school during outbreaks of vaccine-preventable
diseases.

Adopted by the ACHA Executive Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors on April 15, 2014.

ACHA Position Statement on Formal Comments/Responses to Current Events

As an advocacy-centered organization, the American College Health Association understands the importance of being responsive to current, national, and international events. However, in an ever-changing world dominated by the 24-hour news cycle and social media, it has become increasingly challenging to choose when ACHA should and should not comment.

In this current climate, ACHA has often been faced with the reality that the weight of a reaction may become diluted the more one reacts. Therefore, ACHA has chosen not to respond to political announcements, posturing, or social media posts, regardless of the source. Instead, ACHA has reserved its formal comments for response to factual news, major events, or genuine policymaking that may have a significant impact upon the health and well-being of college students and our college communities, both now and in the future. In addition, ACHA has chosen to comment upon issues affecting the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our community, repeatedly defending our shared values of cultural inclusion, respect, equality, and equity. We welcome the feedback of our ACHA members on this approach.

Adopted by the ACHA Executive Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors on September 8, 2017.

ACHA Position Statement on Expedited Partner Therapy

The American College Health Association (ACHA) affirms its support for expedited partner therapy (EPT) and recommends this therapy as a useful option for partner treatment. EPT is the clinical practice of prescribing and dispensing medications for the treatment of chlamydia and/or gonorrhea to the sexual partner(s) of patients diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea without the health care provider first examining the partner(s).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that EPT is a useful alternative to the standard approach and recommends it as an additional option for partner treatment while not replacing other options recommended for select populations. To effectively treat patients with sexually transmitted diseases, the patient’s current sexual partner must be treated as well to prevent reinfection. Via EPT, a patient’s partner(s) can receive treatment for chlamydia and/or gonorrhea at the point of diagnosis of their partner.

Sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea are significant issues on our nation’s college campuses. EPT provides an enhanced opportunity for clinicians to disrupt the transmission of these diseases and provide effective treatment to America’s college students. Therefore, ACHA supports the CDC EPT recommendation and urges states and their respective health agencies to enact legislation to allow expedited partner therapy for chlamydia and/or gonorrhea.

Adopted by the ACHA Executive Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors on August 29, 2018.

As a principal component of the core values of our association, ACHA
fully embraces social justice, human dignity, and respect for all.
Accordingly, the association has adopted the following organizational positions* with regard to matters of equality and human rights:

Sexual Violence Position Statement

The American College Health Association (ACHA) understands that “campus sexual and relationship violence are serious public health issues that adversely affect college and university students because students cannot learn in an atmosphere in which they do not feel safe. Sexual and relationship violence comprise a continuum of behaviors that include, but are not limited to, sexual/gender harassment, sexual coercion, sexual abuse, stalking, sexual assault, and rape.” As such, ACHA issues an updated Position Statement on Sexual Violence on College and University Campuses.

Adopted by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors on May 10, 2016.

Statement in Support of Marriage Equality

The American College Health Association (ACHA) joins numerous
professional health and human rights organizations in support of
marriage equality. The Association recognizes that denial of equal civil
rights can contribute to diminished health and quality of life. With
due consideration and respect for varying philosophical positions and
alternative viewpoints, ACHA encourages continued dialogue and
collaboration to promote social justice.

Adopted by the ACHA Board of Directors on May 27, 2013.

Non-Discrimination Policy

The American College Health Association supports all initiatives to
create a campus climate guided by the values of cultural inclusion,
respect, equality and equity. Such a climate is essential to college
health. Consistent with those values, ACHA rejects all forms of
intolerance and subtler forms of discriminatory conduct with respect to
the following: age; gender identity, including transgender; marital
status; physical size; psychological/physical/learning disability;
race/ethnicity; religious, spiritual or cultural identity; sex; sexual
orientation; socioeconomic status; or veteran status.

Adopted by the ACHA Board of Directors on May 30, 2000; Revised by the ACHA Board of Directors on June 7, 2008.

Anti-Bias/Anti-Violence Statement

We, the members of the association, believe that for a campus
community to be truly healthy, it must be guided by the values of
multicultural inclusion, respect, and equality. Intolerance has no place
at an institution of higher learning.

The association supports all individuals regardless of sexual
orientation, race, national origin, age, gender, religion, or
disability. We encourage all campus health professionals to be actively
engaged in the struggle to end oppression, to prevent bias-related
violence in our campus communities, and to take action to eradicate
injustice.

Adopted by the ACHA Executive Committee on behalf of the Board of Directors on July 15, 1999.

* These position statements represent the
corporate/organizational positions of ACHA and are not intended to
represent the positions of all individual, institutional, or sustaining
members of the association. Notwithstanding their enrollment as members
of ACHA, each individual, institutional, or organizational member is
entitled to hold and express their own individual position, independent
of ACHA.